ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays became the first major league team since the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers to open the season with 10 straight wins, getting a solo homer from Brandon Lowe in the eighth inning to beat the Boston Red Sox 1-0 on Monday night.
Lowe homered for the third straight game, sending a one-out pitch from Chris Martin (0-1) into the right-field stands. Lowe has nine RBIs over his last three games.
The 1987 Brewers and 1982 Atlanta Braves share the major league record for the best start to a season at 13-0.
In a matchup of the AL’s top two scoring teams, pitching and defense prevailed. This was the Rays’ first win by fewer than four runs.
Tampa Bay opener Jalen Beeks allowed one hit over two innings, and Josh Fleming gave up one hit over the next four. After Garrett Cleavinger worked a perfect seventh, Colin Poche (1-0) worked out of bases-loaded, two-jam in the eighth by striking out Rafael Devers.
Pete Fairbanks completed the three-hitter and got his first save.
METS 5, PADRES 0
NEW YORK (AP) — Max Scherzer shut down San Diego for five innings, rebounding from his postseason flop last year, and New York won the playoff rematch.
Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor each laced a two-run double as the Mets finally beat Yu Darvish (0-1) for the first time. Eduardo Escobar added a sacrifice fly, and four relievers finished a two-hitter.
A clean single by Ha-Seong Kim off Scherzer (2-1) with one out in the fifth was San Diego’s only hit until the ninth. The three-time Cy Young Award winner struck out six and walked three.
Darvish was charged with five runs and six hits in 6 1/3 innings.
GUARDIANS 3, YANKEES 2
CLEVELAND (AP) — Shane Bieber shook off a rough first inning to pitch seven, and Josh Naylor hit a tiebreaking sacrifice fly to lift Cleveland past New York.
Bieber (1-0) gave up two runs and three hits to New York’s first four batters. But he settled in and retired 17 of 18 in one stretch. He allowed two runs and five hits.
Naylor put the Guardians up 3-2 in the seventh when his liner off Ian Hamilton (0-1) scored Steven Kwan.
Emmanuel Clase worked the ninth for his third save.
BRAVES 5, REDS 4, 10 INNINGS
ATLANTA (AP) — Sean Murphy hit a two-run homer in the 10th inning and Atlanta recovered after blowing a two-run lead in the ninth to beat Cincinnati.
Murphy blasted the first pitch from Derek Law (0-2) to center field for his third hit of the game, driving in designated runner Austin Riley. Atlanta snapped a three-game skid.
Jonathan India opened the 10th inning for the Reds with a single to right field off Dylan Lee (1-0), driving in designated runner Jose Barrero for a 4-3 lead.
Braves fill-in closer A.J. Minter blew a 3-1 lead in the ninth, wasting a strong start by rookie Bryce Elder, who allowed six hits in 6 1/3 innings and departed with a 1-0 lead.
PHILLIES 15, MARLINS 3
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Alec Bohm homered and had six RBIs and Philadelphia tagged NL Cy Young Award winner Sandy Alcantara for nine runs.
Brandon Marsh and Jake Cave added solo homers. The Phillies pounded out 20 hits.
Alcantara (1-1) allowed five runs in the third inning and four more in the fifth. Miami’s ace didn’t give up more than six runs in a game in 32 starts last season.
Matt Strahm (1-0) struck out six in five scoreless innings.
CUBS 3, MARINERS 2, 10 INNINGS
CHICAGO (AP) — Nico Hoerner’s soft single off Matt Brash with one out in the 10th inning scored pinch-runner Nick Madrigal and gave Chicago the win over Seattle.
Madrigal was inserted as a pinch-runner and stole third off Brash (0-1), setting up Hoerner’s winning hit. Keegan Thompson (1-0) had worked out of a bases-loaded jam in the top of the 10th.
The Cubs were two outs away from a win in regulation when the Mariners’ Jarred Kelenic launched a home run off closer Michael Fulmer that struck the right-field message board.
ASTROS 8, PIRATES 2
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Yordan Alvarez had three hits and boosted his RBI total to a major-league-leading 16 by driving in two runs as Houston beat Pittsburgh.
Kyle Tucker added two hits and drove in three runs for the Astros. Maruicio Dubón singled three times to extend his hitting streak to a career-best six games.
Framber Valdez (1-1) allowed two runs in seven innings as Houston won consecutive games for the second time this season.
Roansy Contreras (1-1) gave up seven runs — tied for a career-worst — in 3 1/3 innings.
WHITE SOX 4, TWINS 3
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Hanser Alberto hit a three-run homer and Chicago’s Dylan Cease had another strong outing against Minnesota.
Yasmani Grandal had two hits and drove in the other run for the White Sox, who had to remove shortstop Tim Anderson in the sixth inning with left knee soreness after he collided with a baserunner.
Cease (2-0) allowed three runs, one earned, in five innings. The Twins were scoreless in 16 innings in two games against Cease last season.
Kenta Maeda (0-2) surrendered four runs on eight hits in six innings for Minnesota.
ORIOLES 5, ATHLETICS 1
BALTIMORE (AP) — Adley Rutschman homered for the second straight game and Kyle Gibson earned his third victory in as many starts with Baltimore.
Ryan Mountcastle hit a two-run shot to left-center in the first inning off JP Sears (0-1). Austin Hays also went deep for the Orioles.
Oakland has lost five in a row and fell to a majors-worst 2-8, matching its worst start since 2010.
Gibson (3-0) allowed five hits and a run in 6 1/3 innings.
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